Grade-crossing signal for railways



Patented Nov. I, I898.

7 H. McL. ABERNETHY. GRADE CROSSING SIGNAL FOR RAILWAYS.

(Application filed Sept. 9, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

( No Model.)

THE uomus PETERS ca, PHOYO-LITHO., WASHINGTON, u c.

Y Patented Nov. I, I898.

(Application filgd Sept. 9, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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THE NORRIS Farms (10.. Pno'mu-ma, WASHINGTON. u. c.

NrrED STATES PATENT Erica.

HARRY MOLEAN ABERNETHY, OF ELMIRA, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE ECLIPSE SVVITQH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

GRADE-CROSSING SIGNAL FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,549, dated November 1, 1898.

Application filed September 9, 1897. Serial No. 661,084. (No model.)

' To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY MOLEAN ABER- NETHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmira, in the county of Ohemung and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grade-Crossing Signals for Railways; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to railway-signals, and more particularly to improved mechanism for operating grade-crossing signals through the medium of a passing locomotive or train.

It is well known that the ordinary electric bells located at railway grade-crossings and designed to be sounded by the closing of an electric circuit by a passing train are objectionable for a number of reasons. Primarily these signals are defective for the reason that they require the employment of relays or other more or less electrical devices which are susceptible to the influence of weather, and hence frequently become inoperative. Again, ordinarily the passing train which closes the circuit to ring the signal-bell also breaks the circuit after the signal is passed to stop the ringing of the bell, and it frequently happens that switching-engines employed near a crossing close the circuit to the bell andthen back off the track-circuit without cutting the bell out, thus causing a continued ringing of the bell. A further objection to many forms of track instruments of this class is that the contacts become clogged or impaired by accumulations of dust, &c. and fail to operate. My invention is designed to obviate these and other defects and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and reliable track instrument.

The main characteristic feature of the invention consists in the employment, in connection with a grade-crossing signal, of a track instrument comprising a rotary circuit-closer adapted to be actuated by a passing locomotive or train, as will be fully described hereinafter, and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a railway-track with my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail plan, partly in section, on the line 00 0c of Fig. 4, of the track instrument; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3.

The reference-numerals 1 and 2 designate the rails of a railway-track, and 3 indicates a signal-bell located on a post or standard 4 at a grade-crossing. V

The track instrument, which is located at a distance from the signal 3 of approximately two thousand feet, is inclosed within a metal box or casing 5, provided with bearings for a horizontal shaft 6. This shaft is preferably mounted in roller-bearings, and upon said shaft is rigidly secured a sleeve or drum 7, preferably of brass, and having a section or segment of the periphery 8 of insulating material.

' 9 designates a fly-wheel, also secured upon the shaft 6 adjacent to the sleeve 7. This fly-wheel, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 and full lines in Fig. 4c, is recessed at one side, the recess extending toward the periphery of the wheel at the point 9. This construction leaves an excess of metal and a consequent preponderance of weight at the portion 10 of the wheel diametricallyopposite the point 9, thus adapting the wheel to normally rest with its heaviest portion at the lowest point in its path of revolution. A ratchet wheel 11 is also suitably secured on the shaft 6 to turn therewith and in position to be engaged by a pawl or dog 12, secured to a bellcranklever 13, fulcrumed on the shaft 6.

Binding-posts 14 and 15 are provided within the casing 5, said binding-posts resting on a block 16 of insulating material and being connected by wires 17 and 18 with the opposing poles'of the signal-bell circuit. From each of the binding-posts 14 and 15 projects a spring contact-finger 19, and these fingers rest upon the sleeve 7, normally lying upon the insulated portion thereof, the said sleeve being preferably provided with parallel annular grooves 20 to accommodate the fingers 19.

The bell-crank lever 13 is bent upon itself at one end to form a yoke 21, within which the pawl 12 is pivoted by a'bolt 22. The upper end of the pawl is provided with a pair of perforated cars 23, between which is secured the lower end of a rod 24, the upper end of which is loosely secured to the end of an overhanging arm or bracket 25, attached to the casing 5. This rod 24 is surrounded by a coil-spring 26, which operates to normally draw the pawl away from the ratchet-wheel.

The lower depending end of the bell-crank lever 13 is pivotally secured to one end of a rod 27, the other end of said rod having a link connection 28 with a horizontal shaft 29, located in the upper portion of the casing 5. This shaft 29 is supported in bearings 30, formed in a casting 31, secured to the end of one of the railroad-ties, and to the inner end of said shaft is secured a lever 32, extending below a track-bar 33, pivotally secured at one end 34 to a crank-arm 35, mounted on one end of a shaft 36, extending across the track, and having at its opposite end a crank-arm connection 37 with another track-bar 38, located adjacent to the opposite rail of the track.

The shaft 29 is provided with a torsion coilspring 39, one end of which is fixed to the shaft, while its opposite end is secured to the casting 31. The free end 40 of the lever 32 is notched or recessed for a purpose hereinafter explained, and its upper edge is adapted to be struck by a depending lug or projection 41 of the track-bar 33, the adjacent end of which is provided with a hook or arm 42, held in a keeper 43, fixed to the rail.

The operation of the parts thus far is as follows: The track-bar normally projects slightly above the tread-surface ofthe rail or portion to be struck by the wheels of a passing train. The depression of the bar 33 operates to depress the lever 32, thus turning the shaft 29 and through the link 28 moving the rod 27 longitudinally, which in turn tilts the bell-crank lever 13 and throws the pawl 12 into engagement with the ratchet-wheel 11, thus revolving the shaft 6 and its fly-wheel and sleeve 7. The contact of the spring-fingers 19 with the metallic surface of the sleeve or drum 7 closes the circuit to the bell, causing the latter to sound an alarm until the circuit is broken, as hereinafter explained. The momentum of the weighted fly-wheel 9 causes the shaft 6 to revolve for an appreciable length of time after the passage of the train and a consequent sounding of the bell until the train has passed the crossing. As soon as the fly-wheel ceases to revolve it stops with its heaviest portion on the under side, which brings the contact-fingers again into. their first position on the insulated part of the drum, thus breaking the circuit and stopping the ringing of the bell. The shaft 6 is designed to be supported in ball-bearings, (not shown,) so that it will be very sensitive to the rotating force of the pawl-and-ratchet device and will revolve freely with a minimum of friction, thus permittingit to be easily revolved by the momentum of the fly-wheel,

as above described. The frictional contact of the pawl against the ratchet-wheel is overcome by the momentum of the ily-wheel, and after the passage of a train said fly-wheel will oscillate as a pendulum until finally coming to rest, thus further prolonging the sounding of the bell.

It will be observed that the spring-fingers 19 have a sliding or sweeping contact with the drum, which serves to clear away any accumulated dust or dirt and insure a good contact.

The torsion-spring 39 serves to retract the shaft 29 to its normal position, and the spring 26 withdraws the pawl 12 from its engagement with the ratchet-wheel.

The function of the second track-bar 38 will now be described. It will be understood that it is necessary to locate one of the track instruments and its operating track-bars on either side of the crossing to sound the signal in both directions of travel. It is obvious that if the track-bar 33 were continuously in position to depress the lever 32 the train after actuating the track instrument at one side of the crossing and passing the crossing would also operate the second instrument, thus causing the bell to ring again after the train had passed. To prevent this unnecessary ringing of the hell, I have provided the second trackbar 38, one end of which is pivotally secured to the crank-arn1 37 on the end of the shaft 36, while its opposite end has a limited play within a keeper 45, secured to the rail. The end 46 of the track-bar 38 is secured to a plunger or piston rod 47, connected to a coil-sprin g 43, inclosed bya cylindrical casing 49, secured to a bracket 50 by means of ears 51 and eye 52 and bolt 53. The bar 33 is so arranged with relation to the bar 33 that the former will be struck by the wheel of the train (after the latter has passed the crossing) first, thus depressing said bar 38 and through the shaft 36 and crank-arm 35 throwing said bar 33 longitudinally to bring its projection 41 opposite the recessed end lO, so that the depression of said bar 33 will not operate the track instrument. After the passage of the train the spring 48 retracts the bar 38 to its former position.

I claim- 1. The combination with a railway-track signal, of a track instrument comprising a rotary circuit-closer, electrical connections between the signal and rotary circuit-closer including contact-fingers resting on the periphery of the rotary circuit-closer, means operated by a passing locomotive or train for revolving said circuit-closer and a weighted fiy-wheel for continuing the revolution of the circuit-closer for a limited time by the momentum of the fly-wheel.

2. The combination with a railway gradecrossing signal, of a track instrument located adjacent to one of the rails of the track at a distance from the signal, and comprising a rotary circuit-closer having a portion of its periphery insulated, electrical connections between the signal and circuit-closer including contacts which normally rest onthe insulated portion of the circuit-closer, a device for actuating the circuit-closer through the medium of a passing locomotive or train and a weighted fly-wheel adapted by the momentum to continue the revolution of the circuit-closer for a limited time.

3. The combination with a railway gradecrossing signal, of a track instrument electrically connected with the signal, and comprising a rotary shaft, a sleeve mounted on said shaft and insulated on a portion of its periphery; a fly-wheel and a ratchet-wheel on said shaft, contact-fingers bearing on said sleeve, and means operated by a passing 1ocomotive or train for operating said ratchetwheel.

4. The combination with a railway gradecrossing signal, of a track instrument elec trically connected with the signal, and comprising a rotary shaft, a sleeve mounted thereon and insulated on a portion of its periphery; a weighted fly-wheel, and a ratchetwheel on said shaft, contact-fingers resting on said insulated sleeve and adapted to make a sliding or sweeping contact therewith; and a spring-retracted pawl device adapted to be depressed by a moving locomotive or train to engage the ratchet-wheel and thus revolve the shaft.

5. The combination with a railway gradecrossing signal, of a track instrument electrically connected therewith and comprising a rotary shaft, a sleeve having a portion of its periphery of insulating material, a weighted fly-wheel, and a ratchet-wheel,sprin g contact fingers resting on the insulated sleeve, a contact device normally projecting above the tread-surface of the rail, and a crank-andpawl device connected to said contact'device for revolving the shaft.

6. The combination with a railway gradecrossing signal, and a track instrument electrically connected therewith, of means for actuating the track instrument, comprising a shaft provided with a torsion-spring and a lever-arm, contact bars or levers located one adjacent to each rail of the track, a cross-rod connecting said bars, and supplemental connections whereby one of said bars may be moved forward to throw the other contactbar out of engagement with the track instrument.

7. The combination with a railway gradecrossing signal, of a track instrument electrically connected with said signal, contactbars arranged adjacent to the opposite rails of the track, one of said bars being connected with, and adapted to actuate the track instrument by means of a spring-controlled shaft between the track-bar and track instru* ment, while the other bar is connected to the actuating-bar to throw the latter out of engagement with the track instrument, and is provided with a retracting-spring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY MOLEAN ABERNETHY.

Witnesses MAIBELLE B. HANFORD, H. H. HAZLETT. 

